Automobile door lock-bolt



Aug. 2, 1938.. H. ID. GEYER 2,125,779

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK BOLT Filed May 15, 1936 Harv/7 U 5/7/5 I Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK-BOLT Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Gen-- eral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 15, 1936, Serial No. 79,871

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile door locks and the like, wherein there is a great tendency for the lock-bolt to slide upon or move relative to its retaining keeper due to vibrations or movement of the door relative to its door jamb with a consequent squeaking.

An object of this invention is to provide a very simple and efficient lock-bolt and keeper construction which will greatly reduce or entirely eliminate sque-aking or rattling between the bolt and keeper.

A more specific object is to provide a lockbolt having a metal-isolated relation with its keeper by means of a soft resilient rubber cushion mounted on said bolt, whereby relative motion between the bolt and its keeper will be taken by distortion of the rubber cushion rather than by a slipping of one metal part upon another.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lock-bolt and keeper arrangement made according to this invention, The bolt is shown retained in the first or safety notch of the keeper. Other portions of the door-lock and the door are not shown for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a view of the face of the bolt taken in the directionof arrow 2 of Fig. 3. I

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2 and P illustrates the small metal-isolated contact plate fixed to the bolt by the soft resilient rubber cushion.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts thruout the several views.

40 The lock-bolt I0 is shown as being made of two parts riveted together by rivets II, however any well-known integral form of lock-bolt may be used. This bolt I0 is normally urged by a lockspring toward the keeper I2, as is well-known 45 in automobile door looks. The remaining parts of the lock and handle for manually retracting the bolt II] from its keeper I2 are not shown, since these parts are all well known and their specific form forms no part of this invention.

50 The essential parts of this invention are clearer illustrated by omitting such other portions of the lock.

The keeper I2 is fixed to the door post I3 and is of well-known form, having an inclined sur- 55 face I terminating in the safety shoulder I5,

and a second inclined surface I6 terminating in the abrupt shoulder II behind which the bolt II] is retained when the door is fully closed.

The novel feature of this invention is the construction of the projecting end of bolt I0 which 5 engages the keeper I2. The shoulder-contacting face of bolt III is provided with a metal contactplate 20 which is strongly fixed to bolt III proper by an isolating thin soft rubber layer 2| bonded by vulcanization in situ to both the plate 20 and 10 the bolt proper I0. By this means contact plate 20 is strongly held against being torn loose from bolt II] but at the same time plate 2|] has a small cushioning movement relative to bolt II) in any direction. Preferably the tip end of plate 20 is 15 bevelled back as shown at 22 so that the keeper shoulders I5 and II will more readily slide over the end surface of plate 20 and thus have a minimum tendency to force the plate 20 away from the bolt I0 or tear the rubber cushion 2| loose from either of the metal parts to which it is bonded.

In operation, the curved end 9 of bolt I0 rides upon the inclined surfaces I4 and I6 of keeper I2 when the door is forced shut, all in the normal well-known manner. Now ,when the door is fully closed the end of bolt 0 snaps behind the second shoulder I? on keeper I2 and thus the door is retained fully closed. In this position of the parts, only the contact plate 20 is in engagement with keeper I2, and hence the bolt I I] and all other parts of the lock are resiliently isolated from keeper I2 by the soft rubber cushion 2| If the door has a small movement in any direction in its own plane relative to the door post I3, the bolt I0 will move therewith while the contact plate 20 will remain stationary relative to keeper I2 due to the relatively easy shearing distortion of the soft rubber cushion 2|. It is thus seen that squeaks and consequent wear will be avoided since there will be no sliding of metal parts upon each other at this point.

Furthermore the direct pressure of the closed door upon keeper I2 will be taken in a cushioned manner by a direct compression of the rubber cushion 2|, as will be obvious. This substantially eliminates possibility of any rattling at the door look from any to and fro open and shut movement of the door. Thus all relative motion between the door and door post I3 due to vibrations or weaving of the vehicle body will be taken by an internal distortion in the rubber cushion 2|.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form,

it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A reciprocatable lock-bolt having a separate metal contact plate yieldably mounted on its outer end portion, said metal contact plate being adapted to engage a relatively stationary keeper, and a resilient non-metallic cushion isolating said contact plate from the main body of said bolt.

2. A reciprocatable lock-bolt having a separate relatively small keeper-contacting rigid contact plate resiliently mounted on its outer end 6 portion, and a resilient non-metallic cushion isolating said contact plate from the main body of said bolt. 7

' HARVEY D, GEYER. 

